Jackal Sister
by jaimi-or-jaemi
Summary: This correlates to chapter 9 of Adjustments. Its the situation between Sofia, Madeline, and their cousin Andy


So just a little one shot based off the scene from Adjustments, because I could picture it clearly in my head and felt like sharing.

Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

Tumblr about my stories: JaimiStoryTeller

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_Madeline's POV_

It is a Friday night, which means they are going over to their aunt's house tonight. Since last week they visited with Aunt Lara and her mate Kevin, this week they were going to their Aunt Penny's house. Three Fridays a month they alternate between their aunts houses. Part of it is so they can stay close with their family, part of it is so that her sister can get a sense of jackal traditions. Instead of being picked up by Daddy or Chare, they would ride home with whichever relative that they were spending the night with.

Her empathy told her there was something off with her cousin but she was controlling her telepathy, or at least trying to keep it under control, so she is not listening to the older girls thoughts. Telepathy is her strongest gift, though not her only gift. She is also very good with the elements, particularly the mixed element that Eric calls Void or Soul depending on how it is used.

They had just got to her aunts home when a young man came by. He was only there for a few minutes before snarling at her and leaving. Confused she had opened just a small part of her telepathy, trying not to overwhelm herself, just long enough to hear his thoughts on how disgusting it was for a shifter to have a gifted person in their home. She quickly slams her shields back into place, swaying for a moment from the stress of it.

A gentle presence brushes her mind, an unfamiliar female one, but it is also one she knows. Blinking she realizes that it is a cobra, though something seems off with it.

_You are family, _the cobra states clearly, in her mind she sees the image of her sister and Aidan, but this is not Aidan's touch. _His aunt, I am familiar because I am a ghost touch, much like Eric when he is using the more psionic side of his talents. He asked me to keep an eye out for you while he deals with a situation._ The soft voice explains, it is soothing, reassuring, and pleasant.

_I'm alright, just shocked a bit,_ she replies after a moment. Though she is confused about how this could be Aidan's aunt, to her knowledge all of the cobra members of the family were gone except Eric.

_Oh I am fully dead. However I still live within the Divine Realm of Shadow with full access to my gifts and talents. Since you are Blessed of Shadow I have full rights to help as needed, _the female voice answers her undirected question.

_Oh, _she replies, _I am fine. Thank you though. Though…_

_Yes? _

_Do you know if I will have a bondmate?_ She hesitantly asks, she is a gifted not shifter, so she probably won't but she can hope. The idea of just one person who would love her for her is something she values.

There is a long pause before the cobra female answers, _You will, though I cannot determine species. He is of average height and build, coloring tells me nothing either. _There is a dramatic sigh, _I apologize for being unable to See more, but here, _the cobra shares the image seen.

For a moment there is a burning behind her eyes then it's as if she is looking through a fog or something of that nature. There is nothing that she recognizes, however she can make out the man in the fog. He is taller than her, closer to Daddy's height. His build is unremarkable, neither slender nor heavy. Coloring is all muted tones tied to the earth, browns and gold's, but nothing to suggest an exact color. The clearest part is the eyes, amber tone with silver rings.

_Oh…thank you._ She thanks the shifter.

The impression of a smile brushes against her before the cobra withdraws.

Returning her attention to the conversation at hand, she listens to her cousins speaking of their future bondmates since all of them had presented with shifter gifts according to the healer, though only her oldest cousin in the room, Andy, was able to shift. The other three had not actually learned how yet. According to them it was hard to do.

~Is it?~ she signs to her sister.

~I don't think so, but I have great teachers.~ her sister signs back after a moment, her's a bit slower since she does not use it as often.

"What's wrong with your hands?" Andy snaps at her, having not seen that her younger sister had responded with the same type of motion.

"I was asking Sofia a question," she replies slowly, enunciating her words to lessen her lisp.

"Right," the older girl snaps before turning her attention back to her brother and sister. "So he will not come around on days she's here, 'cause she's not a jackal. I totally understand," the older girl tells her siblings in a snide voice, a touch of anger in her tone.

She tries not to flinch, knowing they are speaking of her. Her sisters eyes narrow and she knows that Sofia is about to say something so she quickly signs, ~Don't its not worth the trouble.~

~We're family!~ There is emphasis on the word 'family', ~She should not act like that.~

~Ignore it,~ she responds as she refocuses on the image shown to her. Too bad vision is not one of her gifts, maybe then she could have Seen more or Searched for more information. Well that's alright. She still knows more than most in her situation would.

Her sister stays quiet but she can feel the anger that is building in the normally happy girl, hopefully the topic would change soon because she is not sure how long Sofia will hold her tongue. It is ended by Aunt Penny calling everyone to dinner. While everyone is eating, Sofia continues to chatter at her in sign language, ignoring the cousins and only answering Aunt Penny and Uncle Thomas. After dinner, Aunt Penny has Andy clean up, causing her to grumble.

She doesn't really hear what's said, though she does catch the words 'freak' and 'abomination' before Sofia is out of her seat and leaping, her small body getting smaller as she goes from human girl to jackal in the air. Energy seems to crackle around her, flaring through the young girl as she slams their cousin to the ground. Her small paws are pressing hard into the area just below the collarbone while her jaw grabs hold of their cousin's throat in what could be a very dangerous grasp.

**_Don't you ever say something like that about my sister again! _**Her little sister snarls, broadcasting so all of them can hear it, low growls escaping her throat. **_Just because your so called friend is an arse doesn't mean you have to be! Family takes care of its own!_**

Beneath those small paws and teeth her cousin is holding perfectly still, terror making her eyes wide.

Every other member of the family is holding still, most staring at Sofia in shock.

Edging a little closer to her sister she opens her shields a bit so she can talk with her, unfortunately that opens her up to the thoughts of those around them since she has not had a lot of practice shielding and speaking yet. She'll have to make sure to ask Eric for lessens in that next, she thinks as there is almost an overload of information.

Fury comes from her sister, the anger of a child who knows someone is doing something wrong and no one is stopping them. Terror, anger, and embarrassment from the cousin pinned to the floor. Shock and fear from their aunt who has never seen someone shift like that so young. There is amazement from their uncle who is planning to speak with his daughter about her comments. The youngest of their cousins in the house is jealous, she had been told children are unable to shift, so how did Sofia who was only a few months older than her already know how? Thom has dark amusement, he actually agrees with his sister, but also finds it funny that a little girl just took her down.

_Sofia, lets withdraw for the night. _She suggests, trying not to cry in front of these people. They are supposed to be her family, they're supposed to support and be there for her. Not act like this.

**_Alright, but I will do it again if she makes another such remark,_** the younger girl grumbles as she springs backwards and off their cousin's chest, leaving long scratches in her clothes and skin from her front claws, before she pads over and settles next to her.

"I…sorry…" Andy stammers out, staring at her little sister.

**_Bullshit. I can smell the lie, _**her sister snaps before gently head butting her, **_Come on, let's get away, I think we should ask Daddy not to force us back over here for a while._**

She nods and the two of them leave the room, heading to the small bedroom that they use every time they are over. They'll avoid the family the rest of the night. She will spend the rest of the night trying to focus on the idea she has a bondmate rather than the fact her family beside her sister hates her.

_It will be alright, _the cobra murmurs in her mind, _would you like a lesson on shield speech?_

_That would be nice, _she replies with sadness in her tone.

_Then watch carefully,_ the shifter directs her.

As she learns shielded speech, her sister curls up with her on the bed, butting her head under her hand in silent demand for strokes since she knows her sister likes to be petted down her back and behind her ears. It is soothing to both of them.


End file.
